How to become a travel influencer and earn money

Introduction

Are you aspiring to become a travel influencer but don’t know how or where to get started?

Then, this article on Daily Migrant is for you!

Wait!

Do you even know that you can make a living by becoming a travel influencer?

Of course, you can!

Some people’s full-time job is traveling around a particular country, continent, or the world as travel influencers.

Since the advent and development of Web 2.0 technology, it has become possible for almost the whole world to interconnect on the social web.

People connect virtually, make friends, find love, get information, and even get jobs.

Also, with social media platforms becoming more popular every year, it has unlocked many earning opportunities for both people with a 9-to-5 job and those without a 9-to-5 job.

It will surprise you to learn that you can build the life of your dreams as a travel influencer in any country of your choice by leveraging the power of the internet.

Travel influencers, who are individuals who share their travel experiences on various platforms in a captivating way, have become a driving force in the tourism industry.

Notably, if you are passionate about exploring the world and capturing its essence, embarking on a journey to become a travel influencer could be a fulfilling path.

So, in this article, we will explore how to become a travel influencer and earn a living doing it.

Here are some steps you must follow to become a successful travel influencer:

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Find a Niche and Your Unique Travel Style

 

Finding a specific niche helps you distinguish yourself from the crowd.

Create a brand that resonates specifically with your audience.

Even if you’re an adrenaline junkie looking for exciting experiences, a culture explorer immersing yourself in local customs, or a nature lover seeking serenity amidst stunning surroundings, the best way to distinguish yourself and attract a unique audience is by having a niche.

A niche is what makes you different from other influencers.

Some examples of successful travel influencers in the United States with specific niches include:

• Chris Burkard: 

Chris Burkard is an adventurer, photographer, and filmmaker who travels the world to capture stunning images of nature. 

Chris Burkard has over 3.9 million followers on Instagram and his work has been featured in Ted Talks, The New York Times, and Forbes.

• The Blonde Abroad:

Kiersten Rich  , known as The Blonde Abroad, is a travel blogger and influencer who has traveled to over 60 countries. 

She shares her tips and advice on how to travel on a budget, as well as her experiences with different cultures and destinations.

On Instagram, she has over 518 thousand followers.

• Nomadic Matt: 

Nomadic Matt is a travel blogger and author who has been traveling the world for over 10 years. 

He is known for his budget-friendly travel tips and advice. 

On Instagram, Nomadic Matt has over 144k followers.

• Kristen Addis: 

Kristen Addis is a travel blogger and influencer who runs the blog Be My Travel Muse. 

She is known for her inspiring travel stories and her tips on how to travel like a local. 

She has over 130,000 followers on Instagram.

• Divergent Travelers: 

Divergent Travelers is a travel blog and Instagram account run by a couple, David & Lina Stock, who travels the world full-time. 

David & Lina Stock’s adventure travel blog features travel advice, travel tips, inspirational stories, and travel photography to help you plan your next trip.

They share their tips on how to travel slowly and sustainably.

Also,they share their experiences with different cultures and destinations.

They have over 57,000 followers on Instagram and 3.69K subscribers on YouTube.

• Tiffany Dowd: 

Tiffany Dowd is a travel blogger and influencer who runs the blog LuxeTiffany.

She is known for her luxury travel experiences and her tips on how to travel in style. 

She has over 82,000 followers on Instagram.

So, these are some of the successful travel influencers in their various niches.

As a travel influencer, it’s harder than it seems to figure out a niche in the industry. 

Most people think that being a travel influencer in itself is a niche.

It is, but you need to be more specific about what you do.

In a saturated market for traveling, you need to stand out than just be a generic travel influencer. 

From the list above, you can either choose to be a travel influencer for couples voyaging the world with your better half or a solo traveler going around the world alone, or a family traveler with your whole family and kids.

Either way, just find what you love and stick to it!

Knowing your Niche is Important if you’re not looking for quick money and want to make a career out of travel influencing on social media. 

Honestly, people love interacting with people they feel connected to or relate to.

 

Know why you want to become a travel influencer

 

Building a long-lasting and rewarding career as a travel influencer requires understanding your major motives for becoming a travel influencer in the first place.

For example,

Beyond the temptation of free travel and money, a sincere desire for learning, developing oneself, and interacting with people improves the authenticity of your work.

This genuineness, together with an emphasis on long-term objectives, aids in overcoming obstacles, upholding consistency, and creating deep connections with your audience.

So, to accept working as a travel influencer as an ongoing educational process not only advances your growth but also adds a variety of viewpoints to your writing. 

Additionally, having a purpose-driven mindset makes it possible to diversify your sources of income.

Take an entrepreneurial stance, which will guarantee the sustainability and robustness of your influencer job.

 

Create your Social Media Channels

The importance of social media to your success as a travel influencer cannot be overemphasized.

Of course, you need social media to gain visibility and influence people online.

Though you can become a travel influencer solely through blogging, it is harder and can take a longer time to become successful.

So, it is wise to create and utilize social media to give you the best possible chance of becoming a travel influencer and getting paid for it.

Start uploading your content on your social media pages as soon as you’re done optimizing them to reflect what you do as a travel influencer.

Don’t worry about growing your followers super quickly, as the growth of your social media pages will come with time. 

Another thing to do even before creating your social media pages is to select specific platforms that will allow you to reach your target audience quickly.

Starting with all the social media platforms at once might be overwhelming to you initially.

The social media platforms to consider include:

• Youtube
• Facebook
• TikTok
• Instagram, and so on

So, start with one or two platforms and expand as you grow.

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Plan Your Content And Influencer Marketing Strategy

Have you ever wondered how successful travel influencers always have something to post and talk about on their social media platforms?

It’s not as easy as you think!

It requires proper planning and strategy to be CONSISTENT in creating content as a travel influencer

If you plan yourself properly, you will never run out of content.

But if you don’t, you will always have issues with knowing or having what to post on your social media pages.

To grow an audience and stay relevant in your field, you must keep up to date with the trends in your industry.

Again, planning your content ahead of time helps you maintain consistency.

Most creators who can maintain consistency follow this simple process: – Post, Rinse, Repeat!

Consistency is very important if you want to go viral and get paid as a travel influencer.

Being consistent does not necessarily mean posting 3 or 4 times per day unless you have what it takes to do that, maybe if you’re doing it as a full-time job.

For travel influencers, you can post multiple times daily if traveling has become your daily experience

Otherwise, it may not be realistic to post multiple times every single day.

Therefore, you need to create a timetable that is suitable for you and STAY CONSISTENT. 

 

Start As Travel Influencer By Exploring Your City

 

As a travel influencer, you must not travel globally to become successful. 

Whether you’re in India, the United Kingdom, or the United States, you can simply start exploring the towns and cities within your country. 

It is worthy of note that every city has something unique to offer. 

So, explore every corner of your city, know more about the people and how they view the world around them, visit local markets, and document all your findings.

Assuming you’re in New York City in the United States, you can start exploring the city’s many neighborhoods, demonstrating the cultural diversity of each borough, rather than taking off right away to foreign places.

Through engaging in local events like food festivals in Queens or street art tours in Brooklyn, you can foster a genuine relationship with fellow New Yorkers while still offering your audience insightful content. 

This tactic can help you become a better storyteller while also proving the fact that starting small pays off in the long run.

Through such relatable content, you as an influencer not only garner support from the local community but also set a foundation of authenticity and trust that will resonate as you eventually expand your travels beyond your city limits.

 

Invest In Tools To Become A Successful Travel Influencer

So, now that you have created a social media account and you’re ready to start posting content, the next thing to consider is getting the right tools you need to create quality content.

For example, you will need to have a good camera to snap appealing pictures or capture captivating videos.

This simply means that you have to invest in a good camera and smart editing software.

Do not be deceived!

Most of the content you see out there on social media is properly edited to appeal to the target audience.

So, investing in the right tools is crucial to making your journey as a travel influencer easier and more successful.

Beyond merely creating social media accounts, the key to attracting a dedicated audience lies in producing captivating content. 

To achieve this, consider investing in a high-quality camera that can capture the essence of your travels with clarity and precision. 

Pairing this with sophisticated editing software is essential.

It’s also worthy of note that 86% of renowned travel influencers rely on such tools to enhance the quality of their pictures. 

Adobe Lightroom and VSCO are excellent choices for refining colors, tones, and compositions, ensuring your visuals are not just eye-catching but also professionally polished. 

Beyond photography, video content is increasingly vital in the influencer landscape. 

Tools like Capcut, Final Cut Pro, or Adobe Premiere Pro can help you craft engaging travel videos with cinematic narratives. 

Additionally, you can use tools like Canva to create excellent, visually appealing, and cohesive Instagram Stories. 

Besides all the tools mentioned above, you can decide to use just your phone and laptop to create content as a beginner.

These tools collectively empower you to produce content that stands out, captures your audience’s attention, and establishes your identity as a successful and professional travel influencer.

 

Start creating engaging content

At this stage, you’ve gotten your niche and known why you want to become a travel influencer.

Also, you’ve created your social media platforms and probably bought the tools you need to get started

Now, what next?

Start creating content of course!

To create engaging content, you need to be thorough with the information you present to your audience. 

I mean very thorough!

This might sometimes require you to visit the place personally and gather the information yourself. 

Sometimes, businesses may decide to sponsor your travels in exchange for a promotion or you will have to pay for your trip. 

So gather your equipment, sponsored or not, and get set to tell others about your adventures. 

Command authority in your niche and give your audience the impression that they are consuming street cuisine or taking in the breathtaking scenery beside you. 

Become the go-to person for travel inspiration and watch your efforts bring in massive results!

 

Grow your Followers as a Travel Influencer

Growing your online presence from scratch may take some time, but it’s doable with hard work and consistency. 

Try to connect with people outside social media platforms. Word of mouth is still a powerful traditional marketing tool.

Now, for growing consistently on social media, here’s a step-by-step guide you can follow:

• Attractive Profile Picture:

Your profile pic is the first thing people see. Make it eye-catching and reflective of your vibe.

• Use Relevant Hashtags:

Each post needs its own set of hashtags. Be smart about it; use ones that match your content.

• Be Consistent In Posting:

Post at least twice a day in the beginning to get noticed. Consistency is key.

• You Can Use Instagram Filters:

Boost your views with Instagram filters. They make your content pop.

• Collaborate with Niche Influencers:

Team up with other travel influencers in your niche. It broadens your reach.

• Diverse Content:

Mix it up! Upload pictures, stories, reels, IGTV videos, YouTube snippets—keep it interesting.

• Get a Content Calendar:

Plan your posts. A content calendar keeps you organized and ensures a steady flow of content.

• Follow Established Influencers:

Learn from the best. Follow established influencers, get inspired, and adapt what works for you.

• Relatable Content:

Make content that people can relate to. The stuff they want to share and save for later.

• Engage with Your Audience:

Respond to comments. Interaction is key to building a community around your content.

• Use Paid Ads:

If you’ve got some capital, consider using paid ads strategically. It can give your content an extra boost.

Remember, growing your fan base on social media is a journey, not a sprint.

So, keep at it, stay authentic, and watch your travel influencer dreams unfold!

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Listen to your Audience

Now that you’re creating content and growing your followers on social media, one very big mistake you can make that can pull you down early is to ignore your audience!

Why?

Because your audience is your best critics as well as your biggest supporters!

Try to learn how they feel about your page, their opinions and expectations of you, what improvements you could make, and what they would like to see you do next. 

You can leverage polls and surveys and interact with followers in the comments to get genuine feedback.

 

Start reaching out to potential customers as a travel influencer

Once you have grown your followership to 5K or 10K members, you can start reaching out to other businesses for collaboration and sponsorships. 

You can search for relevant brands in your industry willing to collaborate with micro-influencers, reach out to them through email, or join a company that connects brands to influencers.

In some cases, a brand may just like your work and approach you for business. 

Brands may require you to create a promotional post or story for them, or if you become a big influencer, hotels might even call you for a free stay in exchange for a promotion. 

Some brands collaborating with travel influencers are tourism boards, transport companies, hotels, and many more.

Try to treat them well and maintain a good rapport so they keep coming back to you!

 

Work With Dedication And Never Give Up!

Becoming a successful travel influencer is undoubtedly a challenging journey, and it’s easy to feel discouraged in the face of the ruthless and competitive landscape of social media. 

However, the key to making it in this game is unwavering dedication and a refusal to throw in the towel, even when the going gets tough.

The reality is that building substantial followers on social media takes time, effort, and a whole lot of consistency.

Social media algorithms can be like a puzzle, and figuring them out is part of the process. 

When the initial excitement wanes and the follower count doesn’t skyrocket overnight, it will be helpful to reflect on your goals and remind yourself why you started the journey in the first place. 

So, use setbacks as stepping stones, learn from every experience, and adjust your strategies. 

Also, stay dedicated, remain consistent, and trust that your hard work will eventually yield the results you aspire to achieve more. 

In this way, you will keep your momentum going without ever having to quit for any reason.

 

Conclusion

Embarking on the journey to becoming a successful travel influencer and monetizing this pursuit involves dedication and strategic planning, according to the comprehensive guidance offered in the article. 

This article on Daily Migrant shows you the potential of making a livelihood through travel influencing while emphasizing the importance of finding a niche and drawing inspiration from accomplished influencers like Chris Burkard, The Blonde Abroad, Nomadic Matt, Kristen Addis, Divergent Travelers, and Tiffany Dowd. 

So, we encourage you to continue increasing learning, personal growth, and authentic connections with the audience to build a lasting and fulfilling career.

Also, we outlined a practical step-by-step guide for aspiring travel influencers, starting with exploring one’s city as a foundation for success. 

If you want to build a successful travel-influencing career, just know that it requires dedication and patience. 

Continuously produce high-quality content, engage with your audience, and network with other influencers to steadily grow your influence.

Remember, becoming a successful travel influencer is a journey of passion, creativity, and perseverance. 

By following these effective strategies and consistently honing your skills, you can establish yourself as a captivating voice in the world of travel, influencing and inspiring others to embark on their unforgettable adventures.

 

References

1. How to become a travel influencer with no money: the top tips you need to know: https://www.worldpackers.com/articles/how-to-become-a-travel-influencer
2. HOW TO BECOME A TRAVEL INFLUENCER AND GET PAID IN 2023: https://www.acouplethingstodo.com/blog/how-to-become-a-travel-influencer-and-get-paid
3. How To Become a Travel Influencer In 10 Successful Steps in A Metro City: https://www.mistay.in/travel-blog/how-to-become-a-travel-influencer-in-10-steps-successful-in-a-metro-city/
4. Travel Influencer: how to become one and 5 best profiles: https://www.digital-coach.com/articles/digital-job/professions/how-to-become-travel-influencer/
5. WANT TO TRAVEL LIKE CELEBS FOR FREE? LEARN HOW TO BECOME A TRAVEL INFLUENCER ON INSTAGRAM? https://www.travelseewrite.com/how-to-become-a-travel-influencer-on-instagram/